Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Yunque Rainforest

    4.6 (549 reviews)

    El Yunque Rainforest Photos

    Recommended Reviews - El Yunque Rainforest

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tower
    Roberta H.

    We went here on a weekend in February... it was BUSY. We arrived about 10:30am and began our drive up the mountain. There are about 4 stops open at this time in 2026. It didn't cost anything to get in. There are very steep hills and a lot of potholes! Very limited parking at each stop. It's a beautiful place if you Like nature and don't mind driving and stopping and being patient in order to get parking.

    Lisa S.

    There is a reason it is called a rainforest, it rained nearly nonstop. The way there from San Juan, all sunny, but enter the park and it's rain. It's beautiful but you need to be prepared. We used hiking shoes and rain jackets and hats. No issue with the weather. We parked near the Big Bano swimming hole. We did the Big Loop trail and followed it counter clockwise. I'm very glad we went this way as we had to traverse the rocky path going up but had several paved areas going down. We could see out to the ocean from the tower but El Yunque peak was pouring rain and no visibility. Everything was so green that I made it a challenge to take some pics of non green things we saw along the way. Not a ton of people. No fees required. Great day.

    Jacob D.

    This place is so gorgeous, but also a complete tourist trap! Try to go early when they first open as we went midday during spring break and there were alot of kids and tourists (tourists year round obviously). I really wanted to take pics of the waterfall but there were too many tourists and it also started to rain hard. Such a beautiful and lush seven wonders of the world!

    Jenah C.

    10/10- great rainforest. Visitor center was great! Nice exhibits and gift shop. Good walking path around the center. Found a lovely watering hole on the Angelito Trail. No mosquitos! Lots of rain. Highly recommend.

    Dean L.

    It's only a 40 minute drive from town on a massive clean and wide freeway. There are lots of signs, towns and restaurants lined to get you there. Once you get to the restaurant lined town slow down. Some drivers can be impatient. You'll need to pay to view the incredibly modern visitor center high above the tree lined valley with commissioned artwork and parrots. It has interactive open air placards, staff, restrooms, and an expensive gift store. Head up and through to the top, then circle back down to stop at a few featured areas. The waterfalls, tower and cafe are popular parking stops. Breathe in cool clean air and enjoy the views. If you're adventurous do a little or a lot of hiking from the crowds.

    Roaming horses
    Lynn O.

    El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System. Many believe its name comes from the Taino word, Yuke, or "white earth," a reference to the clouds that gather around the forest's mountainous peak; others believe it derives from Yúcahu, the Taíno deity of fertility. It's not very big, stretching about 28,000 acres, but it is rich with fauna diversity. As you trek through the muddy clay earth, you'll admire colorful ferns, tall bamboo, canopy trees and the chirping of coqui frogs. If you're worried about any dangerous animals or insects, don't fret! There are no predators or venomous creatures here! The cooler temperature and running rivers make the area unsuitable for mosquitoes too! We hiked about 30 minutes to get to a natural water slide, rope swing and cliffs for jumping. It was a bit crowded but it was so much fun! It's about a 45 minute drive from San Juan and easy to get to by car. Visiting El Yunque is a must when in Puerto Rico!

    Bamboo
    Tiffy S.

    I went with a tour group called Spot-On, my tour guide was Andrea. She is phenomenal!! She's so well versed in all there is to know about the habitats, creatures, and of course the historical significance of the land and how it came to be. It was an amazing experience to be able to hike the trail while learning about everything we passed by. It was humid, but very moderately! However, the trail was very slippery!! Both muddy and rocky/uneven. Bring good shoes!!! Ones with grip and ones you don't mind getting dirty. The waterfall was breathtaking!! And the water slide?! An experience I will NEVER forget. I can't explicate how thrilling and exhilarating it was. The adrenaline that surged through my body when we went cliff diving- Chills just thinking about it now. But I'm so happy I did it. Definitely a place you MUST visit when in San Juan Puerto Rico!!! You can go on your own, they offer maps at the front entrance. However, going with a tour guide is safer and they know where all the nice spots are. Additionally, they take pictures for your group and of you individually. As well as record your jumps and of you going down the water slide.

    Justin N.

    El Yunque is a beautiful rainforest. The weather was perfect when we were there. Blue skies and perfect temperature and we did get a bit of rain while we're in the rainforest lol. Our tour guides were great. Took us on a great hike to a beautiful waterfall to swim, rope swing and slide off the waterfall. A must visit for anyone ever visiting Puerto Rico.

    Andi S.

    A must see for trips to Puerto Rico! The park is free to enter but you must pay to visit the visitor center. However, we found it help to go and talk to the ranger about the trail closures which helped us to avoid a trail closed due to a landslide while still being about the access the peak. The trail are otherwise very well marked and not all together challenging. There was a shocking total lack of mosquitos but do prepare to get rained, it is a rain forest after all. It's a stunningly beautiful and well maintained place. I highly recommend the hike to the leak where you'll see numerous wild orchids along the way.

    Waterfall on La Coca trail
    J F.

    Beautiful rainforest with well-kept trail system. There are lots of paved trails available, so it is super accessible for people who don't typically hike! A great way to get people outside. The visitor center is also wonderful and has great items in the shop. I love that the trails are free to go on and that you only need to pay the $8/adult if you want to go to the visitor center.

    James R.

    This is an amazing place. Get there early or the crowds will be overwhelming. We only spent about 2 hours here on our tour. I don't think 8 hours would be enough. They are still recovering from the last major hurricane. There are a lot of hiking trails. Get out and explore.

    Sherene N.

    What an adventure! I wasn't leaving PR until I stepped foot in the rainforest. Beautiful foliage and cool, fun, painful water slides. If I could leave a review for my tour guide Raffy of Carribean Breeze Adventures I definitely would give him 10 stars. Amazing guide. Fun and informative. Just a whole Puerto Rican vibe doing his thing. The jungle was lush and slippery as all hell. I thought I was prepped for this hike but babbbbbbyyyy, the jungle said GOTCHA. LOL Though I had well gripped sneakers the algae attached to the bottoms and everything for Shay became a oops slip, slide and boom. Almost died here but I'd do it again. The rocks were better with cotton socks on. Learned that quickly. He took us to a river and 3 slides. By the end of the tour (I did it all) we happily celebrated going back to land. Everyone on slide 3 hit their elbow on a boulder and it hurt but not drastically. Just enough to scream "La playa pork favor!" When he asked if we were ready for the beach. It was an amazing tour we found on Viator. Included transportation and left a heavy tip because Raffy was fun, funny and vibrant throughout the tour. We were amazed at all the natural bays and slides the rainforest had created through evolution. We all agreed. Painful? Yup. A bit. Fun? Absolutely. Do it again? 11 out of 13 we said yes. You must be resilient to tour this forest. Elderly and littles proceed with caution.

    Yokahu observation tower
    Stephany S.

    This is a beautiful place to visit to get to know the natural beauty of Puerto Rico. The park is home to some beautiful paths that are walkable. You don't need a tour to go inside the park. You can drive in on your own. It is free to drive inside. There are several places to stop the car and explore. And yes you will get wet! It rains (you're in a rainforest)!!! Which makes it all the more majestic. There is nothing like the sound of the rain along the canopy of the trees. The rain is sporadic. While we were day it rained once, and it was short. There are also waterfalls and creeks along the paths. We did visit Juan Diego Falls. Its's very easy to park the car along the road and walk over. There are steps to get up to the waterfall. It is also a beautiful place to take a dip for a swim. Definitely bring a swimsuit and a towel. The waterfall itself is beautiful. It is a really nice spot to stop and take a few pics or maybe have a little picnic. There is some construction going on at the moment, but there was construction workers on site guiding the traffic. It's always an experiencing driving up the mountains through narrow streets. Highly recommend taking your time exploring the rainforest. There are so many beautifplaces to stop and admire the beautiful landscape.

    See all

    Photo of Leland S.
    1388
    1707
    2056

    8 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kenny C.
    2254
    518
    1987

    2 months ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 3
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lisa S.
    406
    1702
    5474

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 3

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dean L.
    358
    455
    1450

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 43
    Thanks 13
    Love this 44
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J F.
    0
    93
    224

    2 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Yenisel D.
    142
    115
    553

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tigra C.
    159
    890
    12159

    2 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Chris J.
    0
    10
    166

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    My first time in a rain forest! It was gorgeous and it did indeed rain. It was definitely a true rain forest. We had a great time.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A D.
    73
    253
    607

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Betty B.
    0
    35
    158

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 14

    El Yunque Rainforest Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Yunque Rainforest

    Continued to La Mina Falls, where it was a very easy hike to this gorgeous waterfall that you can swim in.

    Mentioned in 57 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Montaña Explora

    Montaña Explora

    5.0(8 reviews)
    5.9 km

    Don't leave PR without trying the Full Adventure Tour! My whole family absolutely loved this! The…read moretrek and obstacles Gabe has designed is second to none. If you need motivation to get in shape let it be to do this tour. You need a decent amount of upper body strength and endurance to do all the incredible feats from climbing the side of a cliff to swinging across a narrow canyon and swimming through waterfalls. It's insane! It's amazing! I can't even put it into words. There's just nothing like it--and that includes Ricky's off the charts delicious fried chicken and special sauce! That family is something special. What an incredible unforgettable experience!

    If you want a personalized outdoor experience, this is for you! The tour is directed by a local…read morecompany and is adjusted based on your preferences and comfort level. Montana Explora is the tour company located in Naguabo. Its location is slightly remote so I recommend looking it up in advance before you head over. You can also call/text the company's phone number, and they will text you their GPS coordinate. If you feel like you're driving to the middle of nowhere, you're heading the right direction. Once you get there, you'll see a small building with a bunch of life jackets/equipment on the outside. Our tour start time was 8:00am. We showed up early so we beat our guides there. They arrived few minutes after we did, and after they got the equipment together, we started around 8:30am. They do provide the equipment so all we had to bring was ourselves. I do recommend wearing canyoneering shoes or good hiking shoes because it is a slippery environment and the likelihood of falling is high in other shoes. Ha. Possibly long pants and long sleeve but not mandatory. Some of the trees have thorns, but they are rare. The company is family-owned and operated so the tour guides appear to care about the company greatly. Actually, our tour guides, named Luis and Gabriel, had a great attitude and seemed to enjoy their job a lot. They were extremely patient, friendly, and helpful. They are in very good shape physically and helped us the entire way, even if that required lowering us or offering a knee for us to step onto. They were very competent,and I felt very safe the whole time. I feel like the amount I paid for this experience was way less than the risk they took to keep us safe. I feel so indebted to them and forever grateful for them. This tour was highly based on our preferences and comfort level. We were able to add or subtract activities as we wanted. There was hiking, water sliding, zip lining, and more water slides. It was a lot of fun. I highly recommend this company and their tours. They do offer multiple tours so check them out!

    Photos
    Montaña Explora
    Montaña Explora
    Montaña Explora

    See all

    Las Paylas - Trail to little slide

    Las Paylas

    4.7(13 reviews)
    7.1 km

    It is about 4.5 stars. Las Paylas is natural water slide close to El Yunque National Forest. The…read moreaccess can be reach through Luquillo. You need to study the area carefully before you come. Try to be there in the morning due to limited parking space. The water slide is actually behind the community houses next to river Rio Pitahaya. The natural slide only can access through this location. The residents here create a concrete step pathway to reach the water slide. Parking at the property was $5. It is worth the money for the concrete step. It look scary to slide down the natural slide. My wife was scare at first. After she saw me slide down several time, she finally do it herself. The trick is you can start at the middle slide by climbing the rock on the side and slide down to increase your confidence. Once you got it, you will enjoy higher location. I recommend you wear water shoes for this location. This location do not have facilities, so go to the bathroom at Luquillo before you come in.

    This place is a paradise. We have been here twice with the help of our tour guide. We got shuttled…read moreup there and walked down the path to get to the amazing natural waterslides. We hiked a little further away to a much larger waterslide and were able to enjoy both. The water was refreshing and not too cold but still cool. There are some shallow areas and some deep areas. The rush from the waterslide does push you back if you're not a good swimmer. We can't wait to return to this amazing place.

    Photos
    Las Paylas - Waterfall by the little slide

    Waterfall by the little slide

    Las Paylas - Up river a little

    Up river a little

    Las Paylas - Big water slide

    See all

    Big water slide

    Mount Britton Trail

    Mount Britton Trail

    5.0(1 review)
    0.7 km

    Mount Britton Trail is a moderately challenging hike (about 45 minutes to 1 hour) to reach a tower…read morewith a 360 degree view of El Yunque National Forest. It can be cloudy or misty at the top, but if you get a break of sunshine, you can see the northeast part of the island (Fajardo and Cayo icacos) as well as the tall buildings of San Juan. This was definitely one of the highlights of our family visit to El Yunque National Forest. As of April 2022, the trail head is open. But there's some road construction in effect. You can park near the entrance of Route 9938 (about 10 spots are available on the roadside), but will need to walk 0.2 km to the trailhead entrance. From that point, it's a steady climb along an elevated concrete path with trees on both sides. Not too much to see along the way, but you may hear some coqui frogs (with its 2 distinct rising tones) and birds calling. 3 rest stops with benches are provided along the trail if you need to catch your breath. Toward the end, you'll see another paved road and then ascend up a final short climb to the tower itself. Be sure to go all the way to top (3rd floor) for the 360 degree vista! It's well worth the effort. If you're not accustomed to uphill hiking, be sure to take rest breaks along the way and bring water. To reach the trailhead, you will need an advance reservation ($2 through recreation.gov). The park limits the number of vehicles each day (to avoid overcrowding). One tip is to arrive at the trailhead in the early morning (by 9:00am) when it's less busy. You will see a lot more people and tour groups by 11:00am.

    Photos
    Mount Britton Trail - Mt. Britton Tower - built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

    Mt. Britton Tower - built in 1937 by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

    Mount Britton Trail - Clouds rolling in.

    Clouds rolling in.

    Mount Britton Trail - Rest Stop #2

    See all

    Rest Stop #2

    El Yunque National Forest

    El Yunque National Forest

    4.6(89 reviews)
    2.6 km

    The last time I visited El Yunque was 10 years ago, so we thought it was a good idea to start with…read moreEl Portal de El Yunque Visitor Center, which has educational exhibits, a Café, Gift Shop and a Theater. There is also an information desk where you can get all of the information needed to plan your day. We made the mistake of not eating before coming here, so we ate at the Cafê. We had the Chicken Sandwhich and fries and although they were pretty good, they were pricey, so I recommend you don't make the same mistake we made. We really enjoyed the short film in the theater and after visiting the exhibits and the gift shop, we were ready to explore. One of my favorite hikes is to La Mina Waterfall, but it was closed for repairs during our visit, so instead we hiked the Mt. Britton trail and really enjoyed it. It's considered a Moderate hike with a paved path almost the whole way. At the top, there is a Tower, where you can enjoy views in all directions. I recommend you take your time as you hike, to enjoy the sounds and suprise wildlife sightings as well as the vegetation and the damp rainforest air. A truly unique and beautiful experience. Make sure you have water with you. It was cool when we started, but it quickly warmed up, so I was glad that I didn't get complacent and had plenty of water. A visit to El Yunque is definitely a 5/5 experience.

    Well...now I can say that I visited a rainforest thanks to El Yunque. Came here at 8AM to beat the…read morecrowd (highly recommended as tourist busses came pouring in after we were heading out). Some of the landmarks we saw included La Coca Falls (right at the entrance), Yokahu Observation Tower, and then hiked to see Juan Diego Falls. We skipped the Visitors Center as it costed money and we found it unnecessary to go to. Worth spending about three hours to take in nature.

    Photos
    El Yunque National Forest - Atv ride

    Atv ride

    El Yunque National Forest
    El Yunque National Forest - View from El Yunque Peak. You can see the ocean.

    See all

    View from El Yunque Peak. You can see the ocean.

    Kalichi Adventures

    Kalichi Adventures

    5.0(11 reviews)
    38.5 km

    AMAZING! This deserves way more than 5 stars, it was the…read moreabsolute best! This was my favorite part about my vacation. The adventure is challenging but extremely fun! You'll be hiking, body rafting, cliff jumping, rock sliding, and everything in between! I cannot stress enough how unforgettable this experience was. Ricardo and his team are beyond incredible. They definitely made this adventure even more exhilarating. They are very welcoming and very fun to be around. The tour even includes food before and after the adventure, which was awesome. I definitely recommend doing this tour if you go to Puerto Rico! Definitely worth my time and money. Amazing experience of a lifetime! *Take hiking shoes and if you don't have any, RENT some from them. You will be sorry if you don't! Also take long sleeve shirt and leggings if possible, you'll get tons of scratches if your arms and legs are uncovered!

    I booked a private outing with Ricardo and his team in December 2014…read more After arriving at the teams base camp I observed how prepared these guys were for the day, from all angles, including safety as well as fun. The entire tour from the maintenance of the private trails to the coordination of activities was expertly handled. Throughout the day I did things not experienced for decades like jumping off 40ft waterfalls, repelling down rock faces, and body sliding down natural water slides. I brought my young son along for the adventure and here again these guys shined in a big way, Fernando specifically paid extra special attention to his safety but also making sure he had a great time. The expertise in safety and the detailed oriented planning put into this adventure allowed me to do what I came to do - have fun, without fearing injury or harm to my young Son. These caliber of activities (some might call them "extreme") would not usually instill such a feeling of calm and safety in me - or most people in general. This was the best tour of any kind that I've ever been on. If you love nature, hiking, andwater do it. It's the best money you'll spend on a tour.

    Photos
    Kalichi Adventures - Body rafting

    Body rafting

    Kalichi Adventures
    Kalichi Adventures

    See all

    El Yunque Rainforest - hiking - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...